Losing to Terence Crawford should not be a death knell for any boxer’s career, especially one as illustrious as Canelo Alvarez‘s, but it’s fair to say that the shine has worn off quite a bit for the Mexican superstar. There’s no doubt that he can still sell out any stadium in the world, but Alvarez simply hasn’t been his usual dominant self for a very long time.
Canelo hasn’t knocked out an opponent since 2021, and his risky endeavors to fight Dmitry Bivol and Crawford fully backfired. Now, he must reinvent himself after losing the undisputed titles to Crawford. Crawford vacating them following his retirement means Alvarez can go after all of them once again, but he has already had to let one opportunity slip by. Canelo had to turn down an offer to fight for the IBF super middleweight belt against Osleys Iglesias, due to still being in recovery following an October elbow surgery.
Canelo Alvarez throws punches for first time since elbow surgery
Reports have emerged that Alvarez very well might skip his usual Cinco de Mayo fight date in 2026, pushing his next potential bout to September. But Alvarez looks ready to bounce back quicker than expected, as he shared a video shadow boxing on the roof of a training facility in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Alvarez is back in the gym and staying in shape, as he continues his recovery from the surgery. He will likely take as much time as he feels is necessary to return to the ring. Only he can truly know when he will be ready, but September appears to be the target date.
As for his potential next opponent, no one is quite sure who it will be. A Crawford rematch, which was his desire, is now out the window. Bouts against David Benavidez and Hamzah Sheeraz have been rumored, but they would both be big risks, especially for his first fight back from injury.
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